Topic: Question about timeline of prophets Posted: 03 February 2013 at 4:19pm

Assalamu Alaikum.

This is a quick question about the Quran.

Does anyone know the chronological order in which prophets came in Islam? I know Adam was the first and Muhammad the last and I assume Moses came after Abraham who came after Noah, but what about the other prophets?

I found a timeline on a Muslim site, but they use "wikipedia" as their source, so that may or may not be trustworthy.

Is the timeline below correct, or are there things out of place?

I am most interested in prophet Salih. He is mentioned as having lived after Hud and before Abraham.

Is this correct, or is it false, or mere speculation? Thanks so much in advance.

overview

Timeline of the Prophets

the prophets in chronological order

Adham (Adam)

Adam, the first human being, ranks as the first prophet of Islam.

Seth (seth)

Seth, the Second Prophet of Islam before Idris, Muhammad is from his progeny. Mentioned in hadith.

Idris (Enoch)

Idris lived during a period of drought
inflicted by God to punish the people of the world who had forgotten
God. Idris prayed for salvation and for an end to the suffering, and so
the world received rain.

Nuh (Noah)

Although best known for his role in the story of
the Deluge, Nuh became a primary preacher of monotheism at his time.
Muslims believe his faith in God led to his selection for building the
Ark.

Hud (Eber)

Muslims believe that only Hud, for whom the
eleventh chapter of the Qur'an takes its name, and a few other people
survived a great storm, similar to the Deluge five generations earlier.
God inflicted the storm to punish the people of ʿĀd who had forgotten
about God.

Saleh (shela)

According to the Qur'an, God ordered Saleh to leave behind his
people, the tribe of Thamud, after they disbelieved and disobeyed God's
order to care for a special camel and instead killed it. In Saleh's and
his followers' (believers') absence, God punished the people with an
utter cry from the skies that killed his people instantly. Note that
Saleh does not equate to the Shelah mentioned in the Old Testament.

ibrahim (abraham)

Muslims regard Ibrahim as one of the significant prophets, because
they credit him with rebuilding the Kaaba in Mecca. His family,
including his son Ishmael, also receives credit for helping create the
civilization around Mecca that would later give birth to the final
prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Significantly, Ibrahim almost sacrificed his
son Ismail (Ishmael) to God in an event now commemorated annually by
Eid al-Adha. Among all the prophets, he first named believers "Muslims" -
meaning "those with full submission to God".

Lut (lot)

Muslims know Lut best for attempting to preach against homosexuality
in Sodom and Gomorrah, in addition to preaching for his people to
believe in the Oneness of God, although his community mocked and ignored
him. Islam also denies the negative acts which the Old Testament
attributes to Lut.

ismail (ishmael)

Muslims regard Ismaïl, first-born son of
Ibrahim, as a notable prophet in Islam for his near-sacrifice in
adulthood. As a child, he - with his mother, Hajar (Hagar) - searched
for water in the region around Mecca, leading God to reveal the Zamzam
Well, which still flows to his day.

ishaq (isaac)

According to Islamic tradition, Ishaq, the
second-born son of Ibrahim, became a prophet in Canaan. He and his
brother Ismaïl carried on the legacy of Ibrahim as prophets of Islam.

yaqub (Jacob)

The Qur'an portrays Yaqub as "of the company of
the Elect and the Good". He continued the legacy of both his father,
Ishaq, and his grandfather, Ibrahim. Like his ancestors, he deliberately
worshipped God exclusively.

Yusuf (Jospeh)

Yusuf, son of Yaqub and great-grandson of
Ibrahim became a prominent advisor to the pharaoh of Egypt after he
interpreted the pharaoh's dream which predicted the economic future of
Egypt. He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers,
who showed jealousy of Yusuf because their father favored him. They took
him out one day, telling their father that they would play and have
fun, but they planned to kill him. Instead, they threw him down a well
and told their father Yaqub that a wolf had eaten him. According to
Islam Yusuf received the gift of half of the beauty granted to mankind.

Ayyub (Job)

According to Islamic tradition, Ayyub received
the reward of a fountain of youth, which removed all illnesses, except
death, for his service to God in his hometown outside Al Majdal. Legend
recounts that Ayyub suffered an illness for 18 years as test of patience
carried out by God.

shoaib (jethro)

According to Islam, God appointed Shoaib, a direct descendant of
Ibrahim, to guide the people of Midian and Aykah, who lived near Mount
Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings,
God destroyed the disbelievers' villages. Although the Qur'an and the
reported speeches of Prophet Muhammad mention that Musa married one of
Shoaib's daughters, the Old Testament tells the same story of a man
named Jethro.

Musa (Moses)

Moses, whom the Qur'an refers to more than to
any other prophet, had the distinction of revealing the Tawrat (Torah)
to the Israelites. The Qur'an says Musa realized his connection with God
after receiving commands from him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He
later went on to free the enslaved Hebrews after the Egyptian pharaoh
denied God's power. Musa subsequently led the freed Hebrews for forty
years through the desert after they refused to obey God's command and
enter the Holy Land, saying to Moses (as mentioned in the Qur'an, Sura
Al-Ma'ida Qur'an 5:24), "They said: 'O Moses! while they remain there,
never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy
Lord, and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch).'" On another trip
to Mount Sinai during this long journey, Musa received the Tawrat and
the Ten Commandments.

Haroon (Aaron)

Harun (Aaron) served as an assistant to his
older brother Musa (Moses). In Islam, he, like Musa, received the task
of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often speak
for Musa when Musa’s speech-impediment prevented him from doing so
himself.

Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)

The status of Dhul-Kifl as a prophet
remains debatable within Islam, although all parties to the debate can
agree in seeing him as a righteous man who strived in the way of God.
Some studies identify Dhul-Kifl with Obadiah, mentioned in the Old
Testament as taking care of a hundred prophets

Dawud (David)

In Islam, God revealed the Zabur (Psalms) to
Dawud (David). Dawud also has significance as the conqueror of Goliath.
Note that Islamic tradition and the Bible differ in their accounts of
the story of King David and Uriah. Islam denies acts attributed to King
David in the Old Testament like sending Uriah to his death so that David
could marry his wife.

Sulayman (Solomon)

Sulayman (Solomon) learned a significant
amount from his father David before God made him a prophet. According to
Islamic tradition, Sulayman received power to manipulate nature,
including the jinn
and the power to communicate with and control animals. Known for his
honesty and fairness, he also headed a kingdom that extended into
southern Arabia.

ilyas (elijah)

Ilyas, a descendant of Harun (Aaron), took over control of the
southern part of the Arabian Peninsula after the kingdom of Sulayman
(Solomon) collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the
people of the peninsula of the existence of only one God, but when the
people refused to listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.

Al-yasa (elisha)

Al-Yasa (Elisha) took over the task of
leading the Israelites after the death of Ilyas (Elijah). He attempted
to show the king and queen of Israel the power of God, but they
dismissed him as a magician.

Yunus (Jonah)

God commanded Yunus (Jonah) to help the people
of Nineveh towards righteousness. However, after Nineveh's people
refused to listen to God, Yunus became disgruntled and angry with God.
After an incident where Yunus escaped death, he decided to re-commit
himself to striving for God, attempting to lead the people of Nineveh to
righteousness. But after the Ninevites returned to evil, illicit ways,
the Scythians conquered them.

Zakariyya (Zakariah)

A descendant of Sulayman, Zakariya
(Zachariah), became a patron of Maryam (Mary) the mother of 'Isa
(Jesus). According to the Qur'an, he prayed to God asking for a son,
since his sterile wife al-Yashbi (Elizabeth) could not provide one. God
granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife's sterility and
allowing her to give birth to Yahya ibn Zakariyya (John).

Yahya (John the Baptist)

Of Yahya (John), cousin to Isa,
Islam says that, throughout his lifetime, he captivated audiences with
his powerful sermons that preached Abrahamic monotheism. (The Qur'an
does not mention baptism.)

isa (jesus)

God sent one of the highest-ranked prophets in
Islam, Eisa al-Maseeh, (Jesus the Messiah) to guide the Children of
Israel. The Qur'an makes the nature of Jesus very clear, portraying him
not as the physically begotten son of God, but rather as a nabi and
rasul (messenger) of God

O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your
religion (such as attributing divine qualities to certain creations of
Allah or revering them excessively) or say about Allah except the truth.
The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and
His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command]
from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say,
"Three"; desist –it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God.
Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the
heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as
Disposer of affairs.

(Nisa 4:171)

'Isa performed many miracles with the permission of God, for example:
raising the dead, creating a bird from clay, and talking as an infant.
Islamic traditions[which?] state that he abstained from drinking
alcohol. Tradition also states that he received a revelation, the Injil
(Gospel), though according to Islam, it subsequently suffered from
distortion[by whom?]. Muslims believe that no crucifixion of 'Isa took
place, meaning he did not die on the cross. Muslims believe that God
raised Isa up to himself and that Isa will return to Earth to fight the
Dajjal (the imposter) and to break the cross. The Qur'an and Saheeh
Hadith tell a consistent story.

That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus
the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor
crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only
conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.
Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise
And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him
before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness
against them

Qur'an , Sura An-Nisa 4:157–159

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary
(Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just
ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizya (a
tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection, of the
Muslim government). Then there will be abundance of money and no-body
will accept charitable gifts

Read the Meadows of Gold by Al Masudi and Al Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings to get a better idea instead of Wikipedia. Other than that it is pretty much right.
There are others such as the Sage Khidr, the Sage Luqman, Uzair(Abdenego?), people of Rass, People of Ya Sin etc. that are possibly prophets.
It's unknown whether Idris is truly Enoch, Dhul Kifl is truly Ezekial, Hud is truly Eber and Saleh is truly Shelah.

Read the Meadows of Gold by Al Masudi and Al Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings to get a better idea instead of Wikipedia.

Salaam Alaikum, 786SalaamKhan,

I agree that Wikipedia is a pretty cruddy source, which is why I am asking people here instead of taking the word of a Muslim site which cites it.

I just searched my library, and unfortunately the collection in it (or in other libraries in the city where I live) does not have either History of the Prophets or Meadows of Gold. Would you have a copy of either of these books or know any links to authoritative Muslim websites?

If the answer to either questions is yes, would you be able to tell me approximately where does Salih fall in to the order of the prophets, chronologically? Did he live before or after Noah? Before or after Abraham? Before or after Moses? Before or after Jesus?

I just read "Stories of the Prophets" by Ibn Kathir, who seems to have the prophets
listed chronologically in his Table of Contents. Adam comes first, then Idris (who if I am not
mistaken, Islam teaches was the third prophet after Adam and Seth?), then
Noah. Shuaib is listed after Salih and we know this is true because in
the Quran he drew reference to the people of Salih (11:89), and Jesus
comes after John the Baptist and before Muhammad.

Unless I am proven wrong, I will assume this is the order of the prophets in Islam. If I am wrong, please show me.

According to the Ibn Kathir, Salih lived 7 generations after Noah.
So Allah sent unto them His Prophet Salih (PBUH), a man from among them.
His name was Salih Ibn Ubeid, Ibn Maseh, Ibn Ubeid, Ibn Hader, Ibn
Thamud, Ibn Ather, Ibn Eram, Ibn Noah. He called his people to worship
Allah alone, and to not associate partners with Him. While some of
them believed him, the majority of them disbelieved and harmed him by both words and deeds.

He
claims that some of the People of the Book state that Abraham lived 10
generations from Noah, and he does not dispute this. We can assume
safely I think that Salih lived before Abraham.

Some of the
People of the Book stated that his name was Abraham Ibn Tarikh, Ibn
Nahur, Ibn Sarough, Ibn Raghu, Ibn Phaligh, Ibn Aher, Ibn Shalih, Ibn
Arfghshand, Ibn Sam, Ibn Noah.

If I am not mistaken, Salih lived before
not only Jesus, but also before Abraham did. He lived before his sons,
and before the Children of Israel even existed. He lived a long time
before Noah took the Banu Israil out of Egypt.

"In this book, the stories of the prophets have been compiled from
'Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah' (The Beginning and the End) which is a great
work of the famous Muslim exegete and historian Ibn Kathir and has a
prominent place in the Islamic literature. The stories of the prophets
and all the events in their lives have been supported by the Qur'anic
Verses and the Sunnah (traditions) of the Prophet (S). Wherever it was
necessary, other sources have also been reported for the sake of
historical accounts, but on such places a comparative study has been
made to prove the authenticity of the sources. Ibn Kathir has reproduced
the views and interpretations of all the great exegetes of the Qur'an
of his time. The systemic narratives of the Stories of the Prophets have
been written in chronological order which renders a historical style to
the book."

Read the Meadows of Gold by Al Masudi and Al Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings to get a better idea instead of Wikipedia.

Salaam Alaikum, 786SalaamKhan,I agree that Wikipedia is a pretty cruddy source, which is why I am asking people here instead of taking the word of a Muslim site which cites it.I just searched my library, and unfortunately the collection in it (or in other libraries in the city where I live) does not have either History of the Prophets or Meadows of Gold. Would you have a copy of either of these books or know any links to authoritative Muslim websites?If the answer to either questions is yes, would you be able to tell me approximately where does Salih fall in to the order of the prophets, chronologically? Did he live before or after Noah? Before or after Abraham? Before or after Moses? Before or after Jesus? Thanks so much.TG12345

I have access to the Meadows of Gold(Quite good) but not History of Prophets and Kings(Although this series is not that recommended).

Tradition holds that there were about 124,000 prophets in history, no one knows all of them; the Quran only confirms 25.

Read the Meadows of Gold by Al Masudi and Al Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings to get a better idea instead of Wikipedia.

Salaam Alaikum, 786SalaamKhan,I agree that Wikipedia is a pretty cruddy source, which is why I am asking people here instead of taking the word of a Muslim site which cites it.I just searched my library, and unfortunately the collection in it (or in other libraries in the city where I live) does not have either History of the Prophets or Meadows of Gold. Would you have a copy of either of these books or know any links to authoritative Muslim websites?If the answer to either questions is yes, would you be able to tell me approximately where does Salih fall in to the order of the prophets, chronologically? Did he live before or after Noah? Before or after Abraham? Before or after Moses? Before or after Jesus? Thanks so much.TG12345

I have access to the Meadows of Gold(Quite good) but not History of Prophets and Kings(Although this series is not that recommended).

Tradition holds that there were about 124,000 prophets in history, no one knows all of them; the Quran only confirms 25.

Cool, thanks for sharing that. Does Meadows of Gold say anything about whether Salih came before or after Ibrahim?

According to Ibn Kathir, Salih came before Abraham did. We know that Ibn Kathir sometimes used Christian and Jewish sources, but this wouldn't be the case since neither Jewish or Christian Scriptures make any mention of an Arab group called 'Ad.

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Salih, whom He sent
to his people Thamud. They were Arabs living in the city of Al-Hijr --
which is between Wadi Al-Qura and Greater Syria. Their location is well
known. In our explanation of Surat Al-A`raf, we mentioned the Hadiths
which tell how the Messenger of Allah passed by their dwelling place
when he wanted to launch a raid on Syria. He went as far as Tabuk, then
he went back to Al-Madinah to prepare himself for the campaign. Thamud
came after `Ad and before Ibrahim, peace be upon him. Their Prophet
Salih called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or
associate, and to obey whatever commands were conveyed to them, but they
refused, rejecting him and opposing him. He told them that he did not
seek any reward from them for his call to them, but that he would seek
the reward for that with Allah. Then he reminded them of the blessings
of Allah.

As a Muslim friend pointed out to me through email, in chapter 11 of
the Quran the stories of Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot, and Shuayb
are mentioned in order, followed by the story of Moses.

The Quran explicitly mentions that Salih came after Hud and that Noah, Hud, Salih and Lot came after Shuayb.

11:89

89"And O my people! Let not my Shiqaq cause you to
suffer the fate similar to that of the people of Nuh (Noah) or of Hud
or of Salih, and the people of Lut (Lot) are not far off from you!

11:73, 74

73And
to Thamud (people, We sent) their brother Salih. He said: "O my people!
Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha
illallah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Indeed there
has come to you a clear sign (the miracle of the coming out of a huge
she-camel from the midst of a rock) from your Lord. This she-camel of
Allah is a sign unto you; so you leave her to graze in Allah's earth,
and touch her not with harm, lest a painful torment should seize you.

74And remember when He made you successors after 'Ad (people) and gave you
habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains,
and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed
upon you) from Allah, and do not go about making mischief on the earth."

Ibn Kathir's commentary on 11:89 also states that the people of Shuayb lived in the same times and place as the people of Lot.

(and the people of Lut are not far off from you!) It has been said that
this refers to the period of time. Qatadah said, "This means that they
were only destroyed before you yesterday.'' It has also been said that
it refers to place. Actually, the verse carries both meanings.

This makes a lot of sense to me, since notice that the people of Lot are distinguished as "not being far off" from from the people of Shu'ayb.

11:89

89"And O my people! Let not my Shiqaq cause you to
suffer the fate similar to that of the people of Nuh (Noah) or of Hud
or of Salih, and the people of Lut (Lot) are not far off from you!

Would you agree that the Quran lists Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot, Shuayb and Moses in chronological order?

I think it is pretty clear that according to the Quran, the people of Salih lived before the people of Lot, and would therefore have existed long before Moses or Jesus.

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